A new weekly defence newsletter has been launched by The News in Portsmouth, aimed at bringing together the biggest armed forces stories with a particular focus on the Royal Navy.
The Week in Defence newsletter is written by defence reporter Freddie Webb and will cover local, regional, and national issues. Portsmouth, home to the Navy’s aircraft carriers and much of its surface fleet, remains one of the most important defence hubs in the UK.
In his own words, Webb explained the aim of the project:
“The aim for the Week In Defence newsletter is to put the biggest armed forces stories in one place. Obviously looking at the defence section of our website is always an option, but now readers can now keep an eye out for the newsletter every Friday in their inbox. It will predominantly cover the Royal Navy and the biggest armed forces related topics affecting the Portsmouth area, but it will also include national stories that impact the city and its people. Anything from the state of the fleet and the situation with military sites in the surrounding neighbourhoods, to political policy, veterans affairs and community events, the newsletter will have a mix of reports which readers will hopefully see value in. There will also be a short column from myself about the most important talking point that week.
The hope is to expand our coverage and get more people to see it. There is a lot of misinformation out there on social media and elsewhere, so having titles that are reliable and trusted is incredibly important.
Like the UK Defence Journal, The News Portsmouth has signed up to the Independent Press Standards Organisation’s code of practice – holding ourselves to high standards. Portsmouth is the home of the Royal Navy and the city’s connections to the armed forces is unique. I get asked all the time about defence coverage in a way that wouldn’t happen in many cities. Our newsletter is free to sign up to. Give it a go and see if it’s something you’re interested in.”
At UK Defence Journal we are highlighting this because it underlines the importance of serious defence journalism in the UK. Portsmouth is one of the most strategically significant naval centres in Europe, yet coverage of defence is often fragmented or neglected. A dedicated reporter and editorial team consistently covering these issues locally strengthens the public conversation.
Freddie Webb and the team at The News have been pushing hard to bring rigorous and accessible coverage to a wider audience. Their work shows how defence journalism can connect national issues to local realities. Better informed reporting benefits both local communities and the wider public.
The newsletter is free to subscribe to, with new editions due out every Friday.
Steps to sign up for free:
- Go to www.portsmouth.co.uk/newsletter
- Enter your email address in the box at the top
- Click on the box which says “The Week in Defence with Freddie Webb: A weekly briefing on the sector’s biggest stories with our defence correspondent”
- Press the sign up button and you’re all set
OK, I’ll go first !
This week in Portsmouth, RFA Argus is still tied up, two rusty T23’s are still up the trot, a T45 nearly moved and the Starlings have yet to make an appearance.
Next week we are expecting more of the same with maybe some rain.
Don’t be such a misery bag. The UK launched something!
😄